Ricardo Lara – an extreme left-wing homosexual activist is at it again. Lara has been on an obsessive rampage to use the heavy hand of California State Government to force acceptance of homosexuality.

This bill would strip religious exemptions from any university that teaches anything other than training pastors for ministry.

If passed, it would enable students to sue over bathrooms, having to go to chapel service or if they are “offended” by scriptural teachings:

Dear Friends,

California’s State Senate recently passed a bill that limits religious liberties for all California Christian Colleges and Universities, and that same bill is now pending approval in the Assembly. The bill labeled SB 1146 is a flawed bill that denies faith ­based universities in California the ability to function based on religious beliefs and constitutional principles.

Although this may not be the intention of state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D­Bell Gardens) and colleagues, the bill is discriminatory and violates the First Amendment and freedom of religion that we are promised in our nation and state. For those familiar with SB 1146, the overall assumption is that the bill protects LGBT students against discrimination at private Christian universities. However, this perception serves merely as a Red herring leading audiences toward a false conclusion based upon discrimination and ultimately omitting the devastating impact upon constitutional freedoms.

Tens of thousands of students in California, many of them first­ generation college students and people of various nationalities, will potentially have their college of choice removed from the menu due to this bill.

SB 1146 seeks to narrow a religious exemption in California to only those schools that prepare students for pastoral ministry. This effectively eliminates the religious liberty of all California faith based universities that integrate spiritual life with the entire campus educational experience.

Prayer, chapel services, spiritual formation groups and required public service are all integral parts of the educational experience on faith ­based campuses. In the name of “transparency and recourse,” the bill opens up the pathway for harassment lawsuits when the universities simply go about the integrated spiritual experience of their shared life.

Students choose to attend faithbased universities because they find a place of safety and freedom. The universities provide residential facilities that are clearly delineated by gender and supported by a loving and caring student life staff. Faith ­based universities in California work hard at providing their students a diverse, respectful, safe and challenging environment to learn and prepare for service and vocation in life. The passage of SB 1146 seeks to destroy that time ­honored foundation.

Our country was founded upon principles of religious liberty that enable people to express their religious convictions in their lives, including the environment where they study and grow.

If passed, SB 1146 would undercut the very fabric of higher education, which advocates for diversity of opinion and freedom of discourse. For faith based universities, the educational and religious missions are intertwined and the separation of the two would destroy the framework of our institutions. William Jessup University in Rocklin and other similar universities in the state continue to urge reasonable dialogue and implore political and educational leaders to join with all Californians in creating an environment where grace, kindness and civil discourse can coexist with strong sentiment on matters of great importance.

The passage of SB 1146 would have a profound negative impact upon all California faith based students and the universities that have successfully integrated higher education with spirituality. Therefore we advocate a No vote on SB 1146 and urge the Governor not to sign the bill should it make its way to his desk.
John Jackson, Ph.D.
President

Dr. John Jackson is the President of William Jessup University, the Sacramento area’s only WASC accredited Christ-­centered residential four­ year private university.

We knew that since Bill had gobbled up a ton of endorsements in Placer County that our opponents would go elsewhere and fight it out. We also know that “Mik” would be strong in El Dorado as he was a supervisor there. We bet the ranch on Placer.

How strong Mik ended up being in Eldo and Sac County surprised everyone. “Mik” was indeed a damn good leader.

I believe that Bill’s problems were three-fold, none we had any control over.

Andy Pugno getting in to the race overshadowed us in the same target voter universe. His entry took at least 4 points in the aggregate away, maybe as many as 6.

Bill Halldin looks like a Republican Politician. This was still the Donald Trump election and we were unable to stand out the way Pugno and Kiley did. Bill Halldin did the best he could and I do believe that we got our message out. It was not received by the ADHD voter universe.

Placer County did not vote. That was a killer.

As of 6/12/2016:
Placer’s Turnout was a low 33.8%
Sacramento County was an astonishing 64.5%
El Dorado’s Turnout was an average 46.5%

Halldin needed Placer to come through huge. It did not.

Kevin Kiley is a young talented man. I wrote that before and I am writing it again. He was and is a superior communicator to any of the other candidates that ran. I’d also argue that he is more charismatic than any of the other candidates that ran. When you had 11 candidates on the ballot all trying to be unique, Kiley was. Pugno sorta was.

The above was the key to Kiley’s campaign. Period. Not Pete Wilson, Not the Bay Area Donors. It was Kevin. Let that sink in. (This is also why his Cable TV ads were effective – it was Kevin, not the content of the ads)

I hammered Kevin Kiley furiously for a month – he only barked once. This was incredible discipline, which suggests he could have a shorter learning curve as an Assemblymember than you’d expect.

Kevin will be very young for a legislator, he is 31. He is also smarter than most people I have ever met. It is clear when he talks to people one on one that he has talent to burn.

On the ground, Kiley targeted both Sun Cities heavily and worked them heavily. If you look at the precinct-by-precinct vote totals you will see that Sun City Lincoln will be his margin of victory in the AD06 race. Kiley deserves credit for that effort.

It did not matter that we (team Halldin) killed him on the ground in the rest of the county of Placer. They did not vote. I’d bet that the turnout would have been 20% without the Sun Cities! (In fact Rocklin, won by Halldin was indeed about 21% turnout as of 6/12/2016)

It is clear that the hit pieces launched in the mail hurt Kiley as his vote total slid as the night went on. However, he had built himself quite a lead through his efforts.

For as much as I woofed on Dave Gilliard, if I was in his shoes, I’d have done about the same thing strategy-wise in Kiley’s campaign. The fallout from that strategy, however will either define or refine Kevin Kiley’s early tenure as an Assembly-Member. That was the jam Kiley was put in to because of the shallowness of his endorsement support.

When 11 people are on the ballot, it creates a completely volatile situation. With Trump sealing the nomination, it upset the electorate. This was an election where many of the usual conventions of campaigning were tossed aside.

The rest of the votes will be counted by Friday, I’ve been told. I am expecting that Kiley will hold on by 1000-1200 votes (which will still be a large margin in an 11 person race) and that Halldin may pass Cristi Nelson for 5th.

Congrats to Mik who almost beat Kevin Hanley despite spending 1/20 of what Hanley did.

Kevin Hanley was out sign-waiving on Sierra College and Douglas on Election Day. SMH.

I know that Pugno, Kiley and our camp were calling and walking precincts on Election Day, you know to try and scoop up a few last minute votes? Hanley was instead wasting a day on a street corner.

Unfortunately, Hanley is out at least $132,000 of his own money on this effort and also earns another dubious award from the Right on Daily Blog… worst sign ever.

Mr. Hanley’s campaign had posted large 4×8 Signs within City Limits of South Placer Cities, they disappeared and were never replaced elsewhere.

This lonely, little yard sign on a stick was what Mr. Hanley’s campaign was reduced to in the waning weeks of the campaign.

There is no question that Kevin Hanley was qualified for the job of Assemblymember. However, he was a complete failure as a candidate.

The #AD06 race in 2016 will be talked about for years, but not for reasons that most of the participants want to remember…

Not to be outdone, Cristi Beckstead-Nelson – which IS her name – wins the worst candidate photo in a mailer ever award. Beckstead-Nelson is my age and is a reasonably attractive woman.

There was a photo on her “Endorsement Envy” Mailer that was horrible. It is not the kind of photo any serious female candidate should ever have on her own advertisements as it was very unflattering.

Beckstead-Nelson is also out at least $138,500 of her (or her Husband’s) money. I shuddered when I realized that some of it was used to pay for distributing this photo in her own mail.

Nelson will likely finish just ahead or of just behind my guy Bill Halldin due in large part to her having the slate cards in an extremely crowded field, being one of two female candidates and having nearly a year head start on her opponents. She had the chance to force Bill Halldin out of the race and she could not convince local leaders to support her.

People searching for reasons why Kevin Kiley won should remember the concept of standing out in a good way. More on that soon…

Last night there was a tribunal for three members of the Cent Com that committed “Serious Offenses”.

Two of the offenders – Ken Campbell and Debra Jackson – basically were let off the hook for their financial and public support of the feckless opponent to Kirk Uhler. This is how the Tea Party operates – they are so right that they are impervious to the consequences of their own actions. I sit in amazement as I watch an overwhelming majority of Tea Partiers I know take on the worst attributes of Obama in order to defeat him. (See also Narcissism)

Fresh off of having challengers they recruited against a majority of the Placer County Board of Supervisors getting shellacked across the board, they are blaming your intrepid blogger for the impending demise of the State of Jefferson, not their actions.

If you are in local government, why would you ever go to a Placer GOP event again? Give them your $25 for the local electeds reception and then have two of their leaders back your opponent! What a deal, I wonder what $250 gets you?

Lest I forget about the Placer County Transportation Tax Dog Whistle – the tax is not on the ballot yet. However, without giving the proponents of the measure a chance to make their case, the pack of rabid dogs voted to oppose it.

They are not just right, they’re really right – don’t you know…

Conclusion – if you are on the Placer GOP and you join a lynch mob against a local elected, you will get a free pass. Unless you are Mike Holmes and then you get forced to resign your position as First Vice Chair, because of someone else’s mailer.

Four years ago, Ken Campbell, Dan Catania and others led the insurrection that led to the current Placer GOP disaster. Campbell was a huge fan of Dennis Revell in 2012. Now, Campbell hates him. I’ve seen this pattern for 13 years. – it ain’t just (fill in the list of Republican electeds here) that Campbell hates, it seems to burn of control.

Dan Catania? Well, in 2012 David Stafford Reade and others got a massive Independent Expenditure targeting conservatives for elimination from the Placer GOP Cent Com. They used then-brainwashed Tea Partiers who were told what meanies we were for supporting Andy Pugno over Beth Gaines. Catania was one of their chosen candidates to help run off the Pugno supporters as GOP leadership had given a decree to avenge the Primary Challenge of Andy Pugno to an incumbent.

(If you think the hit pieces sent against Andy Pugno in 2016 had anything to do with anything other than his challenge of Gaines in 2012, you are as insane as Ken Campbell)

Catania got left off the team in 2016. I am sure others will be in 2020 when they are no longer useful. (Catania Lost)

If you like pain and suffering – go to a Placer GOP Central Committee event. If you want to incite a pack of rabid dogs who will turn on you and try to recruit opponents for you (regardless of party), go to a Placer GOP Event.

Watch. Debra Jackson or Ken Campbell are going to run for chair in 2017. Unless of course, Dennis Revell is a complete masochist.

Meantime, your intrepid blogger feels like a 5150 reporter on a reality show featuring a gas station, a trailer park and a tree stump in Oroville.

Kirk Uhler won by 20 points despite Democrat Turnout being over 10 points skewed in Sup D4. Let that sink in to the Uhler-haters.

Kevin Kiley blew the GOP field out. Anyone with any experience in the elections game will be able to understand why. I will be writing about this more later. Suffice to say, Mr. Kiley will be our Assemblymember for 12 years.

Dan Catania, who was used to help change leadership in the Placer GOP in 2012 was discarded and defeated by pretty much the same people that supported him then in this election.

The money spent all over the state on Central Committee Elections had very mixed results. The best such result was unseating Jon Fleischman in Orange County. However, it appears that the leadership in Butte County will survive the attempted takeover there.

As of right now, it looks like Tim Donnelly is going to lose another election. This time, he is in third in the CA08 race and looks headed for the trash heap.

The Dems have a lot of D vs D runoffs to deal with that are going to suck loads of cash away from target seats…

… as several Republicans in marginal districts had very tough results and will likely draw serious expenditures of cash against them in the fall.

Despite the dirty looks and glares from Tea Partiers – it is not my fault the State of Jefferson is dead. The local Tea Party attempted to take out 3 sitting supervisors with opponents who did not win. Those same votes could and will kill the State of Jefferson. It is pure political sense.

Little, if anything changes on the Placer GOP despite the money spent. They tried to take out the CRA’s Pol-Pot Bellied Information Minister – he finished 7th. Eric Eisenhammer finished 5th. Both won despite two pieces of mail and a ton of slate cards bought against them. As expected, Phil Ozenick won. You could spend $1,000,000 trying to unseat him from the GOP Cent Com and you would lose.

In Sup D2, Debra Jackson won despite being targeted. Laurie Wallace and Carissa Campbell lost despite being supported. I wrote above about Dan Catania.

A lot of people will have a lot to say. Frankly with Donald Trump sealing the deal before the California Primary, it jacked up the electorate to an unstable, extremely difficult to peg group. I would not read a whole lot in to the results, unless there were decisive race results (such as Kevin Kiley’s win in AD06 or Uhler’s 20 point victory in the face of very high Dem turnout).